Mums telling it how it is...
Bubba name: Ben
How old is your little one?
Just turned 1
How has motherhood changed you?
Life couldn’t be more different now, but in a good way.
Things are less hectic and slower paced to cater for Ben’s needs, plus most
evenings would either be spent in the gym or out and about meeting friends
previously, whereas now we’re in most evenings. Weekends are the most different
though, Ben and spending time together as a family have definitely become top
priority for us.
What items are in your handbag (baby related)?
I always seem to have a have a spare bib in my
handbag, quite often spare dummies and more often than not an odd sock of Ben’s
as they don’t stay on long!
What things could you not live without?
Our baby monitor plays music for half an hour
for when we put Ben to bed and that has become invaluable. On the odd occasion
that he has got himself uptight before a nap, he thoroughly chills out once the
music is on. It is particularly useful if he wakes in the middle of the night!
As for groups, Ben and I have a good
support network of friends both new and old and antenatal friends that we meet
up with regularly and they’ve been a god send too.
Any good advice you received (or could give)?
I’ve had fantastic help
and advice from both of our families but especially my sister and brother in
law who have recently had two boys. One that sticks in my mind
from my brother in law is that your baby is unsettled / upset or playing up for a reason, not to annoy you, so there’s
no point in getting uptight or angry yourself, it is your job to work out what
they need or what the issue might be and to help them through it. To me this is
the key to approaching all of the challenges that arise with parenthood.
Do you use any good books or websites that you’d like to share to help you?
I use a selection of
books, Gina Ford’s books, Tracey Hogg’s (baby whisperer) and also the ‘what to
expect’ series. I also quite often do random online searches for answers to
issues. I find that one book or website may be helpful for one issue and that
another is good for another issue.
Describe your life now in one word:
Blessed